Next, "he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would salute to his right:
Peace and Allaah's Mercy be on you [such that the whiteness of his right
cheek was visible,], and on his left:
Peace and Allaah's Mercy be on you [such that the whiteness of his left cheek
was visible]."277
Sometimes, he would add to the greeting on the right:
... and His blessings (be on you).278
"When he said:
Peace and Allaah's Mercy be on you to his right, he would sometimes shorten
the greeting on his left to:
Peace be on you.279
Sometimes, "he would salute once only,
Peace be on you] [in front of his face, turning to his right side a bit,]
[or a little]."280
"They used to gesture with their hands when saluting to the right and left; when
the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) saw them, he said, 'What
is the matter with you, gesturing with your hands as if they are the tails of wild
horses?! When one of you salutes, he should look towards his companion and not indicate
with his hand.' [So when they prayed with him, they did not gesture.] (In
one narration: It is enough for each of you to place his hand on his thigh, and then
salute his brothers who are on his right and left).281
He (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to say, ... it (the prayer) is exited by
the tasleem.282
This is the last of what has been possible to compile regarding the description
of the Prophet's prayer (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) from the takbeer to the
tasleem: I hope that Allaah will make it sincerely for His Face, Full of Honour,
and a guide to the Sunnah of His kind and merciful Prophet.
Glorified be Allaah, and Praised. Glorified be You, O Allaah, and Praised. I bear
witness that there is no true god except You. I seek forgiveness from You and repent
to You.
O Allaah! send prayers on Muhammad, and on the family of Muhammad, and send blessings
on Muhammad, and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers on Ibraaheem and
the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory.283
Footnotes
277 Abu Daawood, Nasaa'i & Tirmidhi, who declared
it saheeh.
278 Abu Daawood & Ibn Khuzaimah (1/87/2) with a saheeh sanad.
`Abdul Haqq also declared it saheeh in his Ahkaam (56/2), as did Nawawi
& Ibn Hajar. It was also transmitted via another route by `Abdur Razzaaq in
his Musannaf (2/219), Abu Ya`laa in his Musnad (3/1253), Tabaraani in Mu`jam al-Kabeer
(3/67/2) and Mu`jam al-Awsat (no. 4476 - my numbering) & Daaraqutni
.
279 Nasaa'i, Ahmad & Siraaj with
a saheeh sanad.
280 Ibn Khuzaimah, Baihaqi, Diyaa' in al-Mukhtaarah
& `Abdul Ghani al-Maqdisi in his Sunan (243/1) with a saheeh isnaad; Ahmad,
Tabaraani in Mu`jam al-Awsat (32/2), Baihaqi, Ibn al-Mulaqqin (29/1) and
Haakim, who declared it saheeh and Dhahabi agreed. Its takhreej is given in Irwaa'
al-Ghaleel under hadeeth no. 327.
281 Muslim, Abu `Awaanah, Siraaj, Ibn Khuzaimah &
Tabaraani.
*NB: The Ibaadiyyah have distorted this hadeeth: their scholar Rabee` has
related it in his unreliable Musnad with a different wording to justify their view
that raising the hands with takbeer invalidates the Prayer! That wording is false,
as I have explained in ad-Da`eefah (6044).
282 Haakim & Dhahabi declared it saheeh; it has already
been given in full under the opening "Takbeer".
283 The first supplication is the fullest form of the
du`aa' known as kaffaarah al-majlis (expiation of the gathering); "he who
says it in a gathering of Remembrance (of Allaah), it will be like a seal to stamp
it with, and he who says it in a gathering of vain talk, it will be an expiation
for it" - authentically related by Haakim and Tabaraan. The second supplication
is, of course, from the Sunnah of sending peace and mercy on the Messenger. These
two supplications are thus the best way of implementing the following Islamic guideline:
"No people sit in a gathering in which they do not mention Allaah, nor send prayers
on the Prophet, without it being a source of regret for them; if Allaah wishes,
He will punish them, or if He wishes, he will forgive them" - authentically
related by Tirmidhi, Haakim & Ahmad. See Shaykh Albaani's Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth
as-Saheehah (74-81) for details.
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